Mama bear defeats rival that killed her cub to win Fat Bear Week 2024

(WTAJ) — The brown bears truly ate this year, and we mean they ate a lot of salmon at Katmai National Park and Preserve. But only one could be crowned the 2024 Fat Bear Week champion.

From Oct. 2 to Oct. 8, dedicated fans voted for their favorite bear at Brooks Falls in Alaska, and it came down to two behemoths: Chunk (Bear 32) and Grazer (Bear 128).

With over 71,000 votes, Grazer won the coveted title for the second consecutive year, defeating the massive male Chunk that killed her cub over the summer.

Chunk received over 30,000 votes, but it wasn’t enough to dethrone the reigning queen — a dedicated mama bear currently raising her third litter.

Chunk is perhaps the largest bear on the river, with narrow-set eyes, dark brown fur and a distinctive scar across his muzzle, his bio says. This year, he devoured 42 salmon in 10 hours.

The bears often perch at the top of a falls in the river, grabbing leaping salmon out of the air as the fish attempt to hurdle the waterfall to spawn upstream.

This is where Grazer’s cub died after it slipped over the waterfall and was killed by Chunk. Grazer fought Chunk in an effort to save the cub, but it later died.

In 2023, the competition came down to the same two hefty bears, with Grazer beating Chunk for the crown then as well.

But don’t forget this contest is about more than just big bears. It’s also about raising awareness and funds for the Katmai Conservancy. Those funds support education, interpretation, conservation, research, youth engagement and outreach.

To learn more, visit the Katmai Conservancy website.

The Associated Press contributed to this story.